The present invention relates to a method for the purification of exhaust air and/or effluents involving contacting the air and/or effluents with a moulded body. The moulded body contains dealuminated zeolite Y and at least one binder and having a hydrophobic factor of from 1.5 to 6.0, wherein a slurry of the binder in water does not exceed a pH of 10 and wherein the moulded body is calcined at 850.degree. to 1100.degree. C. The moulded body is produced by a process involving mixing pulverulent dealuminated zeolite Y with at least one binder, optionally with the addition of a lubricant and/or a pore former, and optionally with water or an organic solvent, moulding the resulting mass to form a moulded body, and drying and calcining the moulded bodies at 850.degree. to 1100.degree. C.
Dealuminated zeolite Y in which the SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio is greater than 20 is known as a pulverulent substance. It is produced by treating zeolite Y in the sodium or hydrogen form with silicon tetrachloride at temperatures from 450 to 600.degree. C. (WO 88/03437--Zeol; Beyer et al., Catalysis by zeolites (1980), pages 203 et seq., Elsevier). It has a pronounced hydrophobic character due to its specific SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio and may therefore be used for the adsorption of organic compounds, for example solvents, from exhaust air and effluent.
The use of pulverulent dealuminated zeolite Y as adsorbent, for example in fixed bed adsorbers, has the disadvantage that owing to the high packing density an undesirably great pressure drop occurs in the fixed bed and hence a reduction in throughput. Difficulties also arise in a fluidized bed adsorber because the fine powder can only be transferred to the fluidized layer with difficulty. Another disadvantage is the large amount of dust produced when the zeolite powder is introduced into the fixed bed.